Installing Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop Edition with full support of VMware Tools - Simplified!

[WoodyZ]

At the present time Ubuntu 9.04 is not a supported OS with VMware products however it certainly can be installed and with a few tweaks even VMware Tools will work normally.

The purpose of this discussion thread is to provide a shell script to facilitate the necessary patching of and then installing VMware Tools along with some other modifications that need to be made in order to have a complete and successful install. I wrote this shell script to bring together all the bits and pieces of information that have already been placed out into the community by others and a referencing credit section is included below.

Note: This shell script was originally intended only to be used on a normal manual install (non Linux Easy Install) of Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop Edition in VMware Fusion 2.0.2, 2.0.3 or 2.0.4 however I have now modified the original shell script to handle being used in either type of install. If you did use Linux Easy Install then VMware Tools must be uninstalled first and this shell script will detect that and offer to automatically remove and reboot or give you directions on how to do it manually. The new version of the shell script does a preflight conditions check and employs the necessary error handling which means basically you just execute the shell scrip by double-clicking it and select Run in Terminal and it will tell you if something isn't ready to go.

This shell script, "Patch_and_Install_VMware_Tools_for_Ubuntu_9_04.sh", brings together the necessary steps to patch and install VMware Tools to have full functionality and make additional changes to easily resolve other issues so after the install of Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop Edition and running this script you’ll be set and ready to go without having to gather up all the information that has been spread about and make the necessary changes one at a time as you find all the various resolutions to the issues at hand which are issues with the Mouse, patching the VMware Tools Install to enable VMware Shared Folders and editing the /etc/fstab file to enable access to the VMware Shared Folders HGFS Shares.

The attached zip archive "Patch_and_Install_VMware_Tools_for_Ubuntu_9_04.zip" contains a Read Me First.txt file and three additional files which contain the shell script packaged three different ways for ones choice of placing it on the Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop Edition's User's Desktop to be able to run the shell script. You can download this directly to the Ubuntu Desktop and use the enclosed "Patch_and_Install_VMware_Tools_for_Ubuntu_9_04.sh.zip" file and extract and run the shell script or you can download it to the Mac Desktop and use the ISO Image or Floppy Disk Image to enable access to the shell script from the Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop Edition's Desktop. It shouldn't be needed to say however I'll say it anyway, read the Read Me First.txt file.

======================

How to use the Shell Script

1. Install Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop Edition in VMware Fusion 2.0.2, 2.0.3 or 2.0.4

2. After the install and upon reboot to the Desktop mount the VMware Tools linux.iso file by clicking Install VMware Tools on the Virtual Machine menu and then close the cdrom0 - File Browser windows that opens on the Desktop as the rest is then handled by my shell script.

3. Double-click the Patch_and_Install_VMware_Tools_for_Ubuntu_9_04.sh shell script and select Run in Terminal and follow the prompts in the shell script as you normally would.

Note: When the shell script is double-clicked if for some reason it just opens in Text Editor then just close it and set the executable permission via a right-click > Properties > Permissions tab > and then check the Execute: Allow executing file as program check box then click the Close button.

4. With the exception of typing your password when prompted and selecting the Screen Resolution and or which uninstall type (automatic or manual) the remaining prompts can be responded to by pressing the Enter key thus accepting the default answer to these prompts. Once the shell script is finished the Terminal window will remain open for you to copy and paste the output to a text file for later review and reference after you reboot the Virtual Machine when done running the script enabling changes to take place.

Note: Once you have copied and pasted the output to Text Editor and have saved it you can press Enter for it to automatically reboot or you can just close the Terminal window and manually restart Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop Edition.

======================

For those not familiar with installing VMware Tools in a Linux Virtual Machine from the Command Line with the Tar Installer understand that it can appear that nothing is happening after you’ve responded to various prompts however be patient as things are happening and the next prompt will appear shortly. You will also notice activity on the hard drive icon on the Status Bar to show that things are moving along between those prompts that don’t return immediately once having pressed Enter.

The entire process of using this shell script only takes around five minutes or a bit longer if you’re a slow reader.

=================

Referencing Credits

Information regarding accessing the HGFS Shared Folders issue under Linux came from 's . Note that this is not because Ubuntu 9.04 isn't officially supported at this time but with Fusion and Linux Virtual Machines in general. I consider this a bug in the VMware Tools Installer under Linux in that it doesn't properly modify the fstab file to begin with.

Information regarding getting HGFS to work by patching the page.c source file in VMware Tools came from a link in a post by , . This issue would be due to Ubuntu 9.04 being official supported at this time.

Information regarding the Mouse issue came from reading 's post, . This issue would be due to Ubuntu 9.04 being official supported at this time.

=================

My shell script address these issues and while it may be able to be used on Ubuntu 9.0.4 Desktop Edition running under other VMware products note that I have only tested it under Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop Edition ( both x86 and x64) running under VMware Fusion 2.0.4 and have verified by diffing the target in the VMware Tools included in Fusion 2.0.2 and 2.0.3. The contents of the page.c file in the VMware Tools in Fusion 2.0.0 and 2.0.1 did not have the target line and therefore those versions are not supported by my shell script. That said, I make no assumptions for use with any other VMware product because I just do not have the time to test/verify on other products.

Message was edited by: WoodyZ - Updated Shell Script and Original Discussion Thread Content.

[ChipMcK]

Yes, I had already run the Update Manager.

I did try a rerun with the Uninstall, Reboot and Install steps.

I will try running before the Update Manager.

(I carefully duplicated the VM as I stepped thru the install on the last "try",

on assumption that it would be 'trivial'.)

Thanks

[WoodyZ]

I just ran the scrip on a clean build with update manager run 1 time and again all worked and I can access HGFS Shares and thinking back I had already run the script both before and after and the results have been the same, on my system is always works.

Did you validate the MD5 /SHA1 checksum of the Ubuntu 9.04 ISO Image?

Also what version of VMware Fusion are using?

[ChipMcK]

Backed down to preUpdate time period, still same error.

MD5 values match.

v2.0.4 (159196)

Next: Start up from scratch - New VM and build up step by step, expect the best.

Keep you posted.

[ChipMcK]

Results stay the same.

Thanks for effort, time

[WoodyZ]

Results stay the same.

Do you have a VMware Shared Folder defined and enabled before installing VMware Tools?

If not it is expected to fail at the point shown by the output you previously attached and sorry for the delay in that registering in my brain and then confirming it by removing my share and disabling before installing VMware Tools.

This of course has nothing to do with my shell script as this is applicable even in supported Linux Distributions.

Thanks for effort, time

Your Welcome!

Message was edited by: WoodyZ

BTW You should still be able to enable and set a share after that failed message and reboot and you should then be good to go.

[ChipMcK]

When a "New" vm is created, 'Sharing' defaults to "disabled" and if the Linux VMware Tools are installed, then the scripts report

Mounting HGFS Filesystem...

Error: cannot mount filesystem: Protocol error

If 'Sharing' is enabled, HGFS mounts.

[Yang_Guizi]

Thanks, WoodyZ,

Putting together this script was a great service to those of us in the community who were unwary enough to upgrade to Ubuntu 9.04 before it was supported by VMware Fusion.

I actually upgraded to Kubuntu 9.04., which includes Ubuntu 9.04 and KDE 4.23. I then spent over a day trying to find out why I could not longer access the shared files on the host, thinking I had done something wrong or couldn't figure out the right Linux command to mount the hgfs filesystem: I'm a Linux newbie. Your script rescued me, and it is highly appreciated.

I attach a file that documents the whole process of running the script. I've got some questions about error messages, which are highlighted in red font on pages 16 and 19 -- at least, those are the page numbers when the file is opened in Microsoft Word. Should I be concerned about these error messages?:

• error setting MTRR (base = 0xd0000000, size = 0x03e80000, type = 1) Invalid argument (22)

• ERROR: Module pcnet32 does not exist in /proc/modules

• WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/vmware-tools, it will be ignored in a future release.

I also wonder why, in the Fusion menu bar, the Virtual Machine drop-down menu continues to show Install VMware Tools, rather than Update VMware Tools, no matter how many times I install it. This used to change to the Update message under Fusion 1.X, but doesn't seem to work any more. I have the same problem when the guest is Windows XP, rather than Ubuntu.

Thanks again,

洋鬼子

[ChipMcK]

For Woody to become aware of your question(s), you need to 'reply' to

one of his updates, not one of mine.

==++ you need to 'login' on the site in order to 'pick' the update.

- Best of Luck

[WoodyZ]

For Woody to become aware of your question(s), you need to 'reply' to one of his updates, not one of mine.

's post was in direct reply to the OP not your post. Also in general I see everything posted to the forum anyway yet am notified by email specifically if its a reply to one of my posts or someone else's post in a thread I have started or posted into.

I also have not had time to reply to 's post.

[Yang_Guizi]

WoodyZ,

I guess that OP means "original post". That was the post to which I replied.

[bobcov]

Hi,

Moments ago I finally got cut and paste working on 9.0.4, but I'm not sure if I have gone about it the right way because of my newbieness. I have xp pro sp3 as the host, vmware player 2.04 and ubuntu 9.0.4. I ran the patch by woody and it had compile errors but it did allow my mouse to move freely beyond the screen borders and it did let me select a screen res.

I tried to start the program with a command I found "VMware-Toolbox &" but I did not get the gui. I looked in the directory where vmware-tools was supposed to be, but didn't see it there. I reinstalled but without using the patch. Just used the plain linux iso from workstation 5.58. This time the command to start the gui worked and I ended up with cut and paste.

However, I got the same compile errors and I'm wondering what was the point of using the patch if it is just as broken as the original tools installation. I must be missing somehting.

II have 2.6.28-11-generic #42-Ubuntu SMP Fri Apr 17 01:57:59 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux. My host OS is Windows XP Pro SP 3. The version of VMware Player is 2.0.4 build 93057. I extracted the linux iso from VMware-workstation-5.5.8-108000.tar.gz. I mounted the iso as cdrom1 and ran the script.

[WoodyZ]

This shell script was specifically written for use with Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop Edition running under Fusion 2.0.4 (also 2.0.2 and 2.0.3) and only thoroughly tested under 2.0.4 and I do not have the time or inclination to test or troubleshoot under different products sorry. You can look at the Referencing Credits section of the OP and manually apply what's applicable to your situation.

[Yang_Guizi]

Please ignore this message: I drafted it in error, thinking that WoodyZ's message above, was written in reply to me.

[WoodyZ]

would you please tell me what "the OP" is?

Original Post

[Yang_Guizi]

I ran the script in the OP on my Kubuntu 9.04 upgrade on a 64-bit VM under Fusion 2.04. ( Kubuntu 9.04 is Ubuntu 9.04 plus the KDE GUI.) I found that the mouse, once grabbed by the VM, was stuck inside the VM and could only get back to OS X if I pressed ^ + ⌘ (that is, Control + Command keys). Then I found the following under Comments at Ubuntu 9.04 "Jaunty Jackalope" on VMware Fusion 2

bq.

<div class="comment-content">My mouse ungrab was also not working but I already had xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse installed and the xorg.conf edits mentioned in the other comment's link didn't fix it either.</div><div class="comment-content">
What did work for me was to: </div><div class="comment-content"></div><div class="comment-content">sudo apt-get remove xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse</div><div class="comment-content">and then</div><div class="comment-content">sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse</div><div class="comment-content"></div><div class="comment-content"></div><div class="comment-content">I then logged out, restarted the Xserver and now the mouse is getting released automatically just fine when pointer is moved outside the VMware fusion client's window.</div><div class="comment-content"></div><div class="comment-content"></div>Posted by: openthreads | May 02, 2009 at 08:14 AM

This worked for me, also: now my mouse can move freely between the VM running Kubuntu 9.04 and the Apple host running OS X 10..5.7.

[WoodyZ]

Please ignore this message: I drafted it in error, thinking that WoodyZ's message above, was written in reply to me.

That's okay, the reply was specifically to bobcov however the gist of it was applicable to you as well.

[jffonseca16]

thank you very much for this easy solution.... you saved me from installing virtualBox instead....

[WoodyZ]

thank you very much for this easy solution... you saved me from installing virtualBox instead....

Your Welcome! I'd rather pay for Fusion then use VirtualBox for free!

[soundbubble]

1 zillion Thumbs-Up and THANX for Sharing! This script saved me tons of head-ache and a lot of time!

[AlbertChurba]

Woody,

Many thanks. The script worked like a charm.

-Albert